• Always work and travel under supported roof and secure ribs.
• Apply additional safety precautions in areas where geological changes and anomalies in strata are present.
• Frequently test the roof and ribs with a sounding device.
• Scale loose materials using the proper equipment from a safe distance.
• Assure that sufficient bolt coverage occurs across roof/rib in non-rectangular openings.

	Submit your own suggestion for a remedy to prevent this type of accident in the future. Please specify if you wish your submission to be anonymous or whether your name may be used. Please include the year of the fatality and the fatality number.

This is the 20^th fatal accident reported in calendar year 2002 in the coal mining industry. As of this date in 2001, there were 13 fatal accidents reported in the coal mining industry. This is the second fatal accident classified as Fall of Rib/Highwall in 2002. At this same time in 2001, there were no fatal accidents in the coal mining industry classified as Fall of Rib/Highwall.

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This bulletin is part of the Mine Safety and Health Administration's (MSHA) program to alert the mining industry in a timely manner of a tragic loss of life in the mines. We encourage you to consider the above information as you make safety decisions for or recommendations to your company or constituency. The information provided in this notice is based on preliminary data ONLY and does not represent final determinations regarding the nature of the incident or conclusions regarding the cause of the fatality.

For more information:
MSHA's Fatal Accident Investigation Report